Table concentrator



Aug., 19, 1924.

' A. H. STEBBINS TABLE CONCENTRATOR Filed April l2, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet I A. H. STEBBINS TABLE CONCENTRATOH Aug; 19 1924. K' 1,505,735

Filed April 12, 1922 Y 2 sheets-sheer 2 ATTORNEY ramas a.; i, reza.

ALBERT n. sTEBBINs, or Los enemies, CALIFORNIA.

, I TABLE GONCENTRATOR.

Application mea april 1a, 1922. serial un. 551,936.

To all' wlw'm, it may concern:

4 Bie. it known that I, ALBERT H. S'rEBINs,` a citizen of the United States, residing at of impurities or foreign matter so that itis usually necessary to treat a large amount of materials as' compared with the amount of values obtained therefrom.

The ores to be treated may vary in size from a fine pulverized material to large lumps or rocks, and in the dry concentration of ores, the' large lumps .or rocks are commonlycrushed to a predetermined size and are `then delivered to a concentrator table to separate the lighter materials or 'ailings from the heavier materials or values. All the values may not be released from the lumps of foreign matter at this sta e so it may be desirable to recrush the tailings obtained from the first concentrator table and then passthem over a secondv concentrator table that is adjusted for finer Work. The crushing and concentration of the materials may be carried through a number of successive steps,v and some values are removed by each concentrator as the materials are reduced in size.

are commonly provided over the surface of` the deck and they serve to direct the heavier materials that lie close to the deck surface' in one direction while the lighter materials pass over the riiiies in a different direction. Movement of the materials over the surface of the deck lmay be obtained either by inclining the deck in the direction of lts length oi by imparting .a movement to the deck that will advance the materials over the same, and movement of the materials will be promoted by passing air upwardly through the deck surface.

It is important to produce a stratication of the materials upon the deck surface, and this is facilitated 'by passing air upwardly through the materials of suflicient @5 strength to lift the lighter materials while permitting the heavier materials to move v downward. As the materials are stratified 1t 1s desirable to cause the lighter materials to pass laterally over the top of the rifiics While the heaviery materials travel length.-

wise of the riiiies, and to this end the concentrator deck is usually supported at a transverse the direction in which the deck slopes.

In theA operation of the concentration table it is desirable to' producel a smooth How of the materials along the riles with a great number of small cross flows of the lighter materials over the riles, and to this end, one important feature of the present invention resides in a deck surface having waves or `other inclined surfaces in the path of the materials traveling lengthwise of the to cause the lighter'materials to escape over 99 the riiies while the heavier particles should rise to a less extent.

In the present case movement of the materials lengthwise of the deck ispromoted byj imparting a back and forth movement @5 to the deck, and another feature' of the present invention resides in the mechanism for" imgarting movement to the deck..

ther features of the invention and novel combination of parts'in addition to the above 1% will be hereinafter described in connection Y with'the accompanying drawings which illustrate one good practical form thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview of a concen- 105 trator table constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are perspective vlews of parts of the deck surface;

Fig. 5 isa perspectivev view of one of the 110 vsurface channels of which the deck surface is formed;

inclination which causes4 the y, lighter4 materials to move over the riilies in 75 Fig. 65v is a planview of the supporting lframe and deck operating mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a side view of parts shown 1n carriage 10 movably supported thereby, and a deck 11 mounted on the carriage at a trans verse' inclination. Y

The supporting frame may be formed of y longitudinally extending angle irons 12 connected by upright and transversely extending angle irons 13 and lfl respectively, The carriage may consist of side beams 15 and end beam 16 connected to form a rectangular frame of suiiicient size and strength to carry the' deck 11. The deck preferably is constructed in the form vo an elongated hollow casing tapering from the material receiving end toward the material discharge end as shown,.and has a deck surface 17 to be described, below which is provided a relatively large air chamber 18'. At one end of the deck 11 is provided a hopper 19 for delivering the materials to be treated to the deck, and at the opposite end of the deck are provided. a plurality of receptacles or hop-y pers 2G for receiving the materials ydischarged from the end of the deck.

The deck 11 preferably is supported to slope in a transverse direction as shown, and

to this end 'one side of the deck is securedy to the carriage 10 by hinges 21 so that the transverse inclination of the deck may be varied, and the upper side of the deck may be supported in spaced relation to the carriage y suitable means, not shown. Agir may be forced into the chamber- 18 below the deck surface by a fan 22 mounted upon the supporting trame, a wide hood 23 being prol ing application Serial No. 551,935 vfiled April lt is desirable to impart a movement to the deck that will cause the materials to travel lengthwise thereof, and novell means to this end will now be described. In the construction shown the carriage 10 is supported by a rocking frame 25 near one end thereof and a second rocking frame 26 near `the other end thereof. lThese frames are pivotally mounted on the supporting ame amarres to swing in a vertical plane, and the trame consists of' spaced side levers 27 and an intermediate lever 28 connected by transversely extending bars or shafts 29. The' ends of the upper shaft 29 are journaled in bearing blocks 30 secured to the carriage 10 and the ends of the middle shaft 29 are jour@ naled in bearing blocks 31 upon the an le `beams 12 of the supporting frame. e

rocking frame 26 may be similar in construction to the frame 25 exceptthat the side levers 32 are longerfkfor a purpose to be described. f l

ln the construction shown, rockin movement is imparted to the frame 25 y connecting rods .33 secured 'to the lower ends of the side levers 27, and the other ends `of the rods 33 are secured to eccentric heads 34: 'embracing eccentrics 35 secured to a driving shaft 36 rotating in bearingsv 37, and the shaft 36 maybe driven by .a pulley 38.' It

is desirable to impart a similar rocking movement to the frame 26 without requiring this movement to be transmitted through the carriage 10, and to this end. the intermediate leveu 28 of the frame 25 has its lower end connected to the lower end of the Acorresponding lever of the frame 26 by a lconnecting rod 39. By connecting the rocking frames 25 and 26 by the rod 39 to im part movement from one to the other, a well balanced construction is obtained and the mechanism will operate more smoothly and with less wear than when the connecting 39 is omitted.

The angle through which the frames 25 and 26 are rocked serves to impart an u throw to the materials u on the deck to advance the materials longitudinally thereof, and to this end each frame rocks toward the vertical position indicated by the line a in Fig. 7, but has its movement arrested before it reaches this position. 'his serves -to toss the materials upward and lehwise of the im deck slightly to impart a successive advancing movement to the materials. Movement of the rocking frames 25 and'26 toward the verticalposition may be assisted bysprings 32a secured to the levers 32.v A Y yAs the materials advance alon tle deck a stratification .is uced by t e passage of air upwardly trough the materials so that light materials will work upwardly while the heavy materials work downward toward the surface of the deck, and removal of the light materials from the heavy is ef- Y fected by causlng the lighter materials to flow laterally over rilies upon the deck surface while the heavier materials travel along' the riies.

The desidcratum in table concentrators is to produce a smooth flow of the materials lengthwise of the rimes with a great number of small cross flows of the light materials over the res, and satisfactory means lso ``to this end will n'ow be described. vThe deck y struction the materials traveling lengthwise of the riiiles will bunch or pile up against the upwardly inclined side of each wave, and this bunching of the materials will cause the lighter materials to flow laterally over the riiiies toward the lower side of the deck. As these lighter materials reach the lower side of the deck they escape therefrom over the side plate 42.

The wavy construction given to the deck surface may be varied as desired and in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 9 the opposite sides of each wave are symmetrical; In Fig. 10 the downwardly sloping side 43 of each wave is shown steeper than the upwardly inclined surface 44. This construction 'permits 4the number of waves within a given distance to be increased without changing the conguration of the upwardly inclined side of each wave.

Still a different construction of the deck surface is shown in Fig. 11l wherein the upslope between two downwardly .inclined slopes 45 is divided into a number of short runs alternately fiat and inclined. The small up-slopes 46 eii'ect bunching while the horizontal runs' 47 promote stratification.

The up-slopes also offer greater resistance to the travel of the materials over the surface and this in turn promotes stratification.

In the construction shown the deck Surface 17 is constructed entirely of perforated surface channels 48 (see Fig. 5) having the sidesv bent upto form the riles 41. The perforations 48 of the surface channels preferably are provided with upwardly 1nclined lips 48b that serve to prevent the materials from falling through the apertures.`

The lips also serve to direct the air currents as they leave the apertures. The channels 48 are arranged side by side to form the deck surface and preferably extend diagonally of the deck as best shown in Fig. 1, -so that the materials that travel along the riiiles will be directed toward the upper side 49 of the deck. The channels 48 may be supported by the channel bars 50 and the latter preferably vary in width so that one will su port the crest of a wave while the next wlllv support the trough, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 9 and 10. The deck surface shown in Fig. 11 may be supported by channel bars 51. l`

As a result of this con-V It is desirable to cause the materials traveling along a riiile to ile up at the end thereof so that they wil flow transversely over one or more riiiles and be further concentrated as they travel along the new riffies. VTo this endbuffer blocks 53 are rovided along the upper side 49 of the eck .and in spaced relation to the ends of the rillies. These blocks are conveniently constructed of sheet 'metal having the hollow construction shown in Fig. 4, and are cut on an inclination v as indicated by 54 to rest against the upper side members 49. The blocks 53 preferably fit within the surface channels 48 between the riiiles 41, and a notch 55 cut in the walls of the riflles ,adjacent each block, terminates the ritlie in spaced relation to the block.

The materials delivered to the deck by the hopper 19 will spread out rapidly over the deck due to the air passing upwardly through the aperture in the deck, and due also to the transverse inclination of the deck and the movement imparted thereto. The heavier' materials will be directed toward the upper side of the deck by the riies 41 and will travel along the upper side 49 toward the receptacles 20 at the delivery end `of the deck. The lighter materials traveling 'transversely of thevdeck will escape from the lower side thereof, and the deck preferably is enclosed by a cover, not shown,

surface of thev deck across the waves and in an inclined direction from one side of the deck to the other, means for delivering the materials to be treated to the deck surface, and means for moving the deck to impart movement to the materials along the inclined riles so that they will be directed by the riliies over the waves and toward the upper side of the deck.

2. A concentrator comprising, in combina# tion, a deck supported at a transverse inclination and having a perforated ldeck surface constructed to form a series of waves extending across the deck, riiiles extending surface of the deck across the waves and 'in a transversely inclined-direction across the deck, riies extending over the wavy in an inclined direction from one side of face so that they are guided toward the upper side of the deck by the riles, and means-for forcing air upwardly throughthe perforations of the deck surface.

3. A concentrator table comprising, in combination, a deck supported at a trans' verse inclination land having a deck surface constructed to form a series of waves extending diagonally across the deck, riles extending over the wavy surface of thedeck in an inclined direction toward the upper slde of the deck and cross-wiseof the waves, means for delivering the materials to be treated to the deck surface, and means for advancing the materials lengthwise of the deck over the wavy surface.

4. A table concentrator comprising, inl

combination, a deck supported at a transverse inclination and having a deck surface constructed to form a series of waves extending diagonally across the deck, means for delivering materials to be treated to the deck surface, means for imparting movement to the deck to advance materials lengthwise thereof over the wavy surface, and riilles extending inan inclined direction over the deck surface and crosswise of the waves to direct the heavier materials toward the upper side of the deck while the li hter materials pass over the riilles towarg the lower side of the deck. I

5. A concentrator comprising, in combination, a deck supported at a transverse inclination and having a deck surface formed 'of a multiplicity of surface channels arranged side b i side diagonally of the deck, each channel eing bent at'intervals along its len h to form a series of transverse waves engthwse of each channel and the channels having upwardly bent side walls l of waves extendin forming rifiies for deflecting the heavier materials away from the lower side of the deck, and means for advancing the materials lengthwise of the deck.

6. A concentrator comprising, in combination, a deck supported at a transverse inclination and provided with a deck surface havinga stepped constructionconsistin of alternate horizontal and upwardly inclined rtions, means for delivering materials to e treated to the deck surface, means for im: parting movement to the deck to advance materials lengthwisethereof over the deck surface, and rlles extending over the ste ped construction of the deck surface to irect the heavier materials away from the lower side of the deck.

7. A concentrator table comprising, in combination, a deck having a perforated deck surface constructed to form a series across the surface thereof, means for de ivering materials to be treated to the deck surface, means for'impartlng movement to the materials to adi ancethem lengthwise of thel deck, meansfor passing air upwardly through the deck surface, and riles extending diagonally of the deck to direct the heavier materials away from the lighter materials.

8. A deck for a concentrator, comprising, in combination, a deck surface formed of a multiplicity of surface channels arranged side byV side and having u' standing sides forming riies, separate bloc s fitted within the different channels to close an end of the channels and disposed relative to each other to form a buffer wall extending alon one side of the deck, and each riiile having a section cut therefrom adjacent its block to promote the flow of materials from one riffle to another. r v

9. A deck for a concentrator table, comprising in combination, a deck surface formed of a multi licity of surface channels arranged side y'side and havingy upstanding sides forming riies, and each surface channel having waves formed transversely thereof at intervals throughout its length to produce troughs and crests lengthwise of the channels. l

10. `A deck for a concentrator table, comprising, in combination, av deck surface formed of a multiplicity of a ertured surface channels arranged sidel y side and having upstanding sides forming riilies, each surfacelchannel having waves formed transversely thereof at intervals throughout its length to roduce troughs and crests lengthwise of t e channels, and lips at said apertures for directing the air passing therethrough.

11. A deck for a concentrator table, comprising, `in combination, a deck surface formed of a multiplicity 0f a ertured surface-channels arranged side y side and having upstanding sides forming riles, each surface-channel having waves at intervals througout its length and forming troughs and crests extending across the channels, and lips extending in an inclined direction over said apertures to deflect materials therefrom. v l 12. -In a concentrator, the combination of a deck su ported at a transverse inclination and E with perforations and formed with undulations or waves extending in an inclined direction across the deck, riiiies lextendin crosswise ofthe waves or undulations an diagonally across the deck to direct materials toward the upper side of the deck, and means for movlng the deck to impart progressive movements of the material crosswise of the waves or undulations that aving a deck surface provided the heavier particles may assemble themf riie v 14. A deck for a concentrator table, comprising, in combination, a composite deck surface formed of a multiplicity oftroughshaped surface-channels arranged side by side and having upstanding sides forming riies, and separate blocks inde endently litted Within the different channe s so that they lill the space between the rimes near an end thereof to form buer blocks arranged in stepped relation to form a stepped buffer wall against which the materials at the end of the riles.

15. A deck for a concentrator table, comprising, in combination, a composite ldeck surface formed of a multiplicity of troughpile `up :shaped 'surface-channels arranged side by side and having upstanding'sides forming riles, andseparate blocks lof folded sheet metal fitted within the diierent channels between the upstanding sides and near an end of the channels to form buiier blocks arranged in stepped relation to form a stepped buffer wall against which the ma terlals pile up at the end of the rimes.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speoication.

ALBERT H. STEBBINS. 

